Reviews Category Archives

This book was sent to me by Pen and Sword Books in exchange for an honest review. The Pug Who Bit Napoleon: Animal Tales of the 18th & 19th Centuries by Mimi Matthews is a delightful little book that I enjoyed reading very much. Made up of 27 short accounts of animal stories, this quick and easy read is heartwarming, funny and touching. I’m a …

I found this book uncommonly infuriating. Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners by Therese Oneill is just… it’s just that it’s… Guys, it’s so good. It takes everything delicate and sweet about the Victorian world featured in movies and romance novels and turns it sideways, going into the horrible details of being a woman in the 1800s. Dealing with marriage, the marriage bed, …

Yes, yes, another book review. I’ve been looking forward to The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister’s Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine by Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris since hearing about it a few months ago and it’s even better than I expected. The true story of a Victorian era surgeon experimenting with different hygiene methods in the early battle against germs could easily be the most …

This book was sent to me by Pen and Sword Books in exchange for an honest review. Death, Disease & Dissection: The Life of a Surgeon-Apothecary (1750-1850) by Suzie Grogan is a deep dive into the education and lives of a medical professional’s life over the span of 100 years. This fairly short book includes different aspects of a physician’s duties, various types of medical careers …

This book was sent to me by Pen and Sword Books in exchange for an honest review. Elegant Etiquette in the Nineteenth Century by Mallory James is a compact little book published last month. (To be published in the US in March.) This book covers the do’s and don’ts of living in high society during the 1800s and features handy examples of social situations in …

This book was sent to me by Pen and Sword Books in exchange for an honest review. Queens of Georgian Britain by Catherine Curzon ticks several significant boxes for me: Georgian/English history, queens and a book containing several biographies of fascinating women. I was also drawn to this book because I live in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of George III. …

This book was sent to me by Pen and Sword Books in exchange for an honest review. I sometimes get the feeling that accessibility is why some people don’t get into history. I mean, history is the best. Why wouldn’t a person be into history?! But when you look at the main portal for getting into history, most of the time it’s going to be books. Thick …

This book was sent to me by Page Street Publishing in exchange for an honest review. There are few historical costuming bloggers as well known as The American Duchess. Lauren has been blogging about historical clothing since 2009 and her Instagram is one of the most impressive sewing-related social media accounts out there. I’m excited to have had the chance to review The American Duchess …

Published in April 2017, Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII by Gareth Russell is a worthwhile addition to your Tudor history bookshelf. Russell digs further into Catherine’s short and tragic life while weaving in everyday details of Tudor England inside and outside the royal court. The author gives some very persuasive arguments about his findings regarding some …

In March of last year, I blogged about Vincent van Gogh’s struggle with mental illness. At the end of that article I mentioned Loving Vincent, an upcoming film about Vincent van Gogh’s final days. Last night, after what feels like years of waiting, I finally got to see the film. Loving Vincent is a triumphant combination of a tragic story and mind-blowing artistic visuals. Each frame …